Wednesday 12 October 2011

Saying 'Yes' to a clean energy future

A bitterly cold wind blew down from the Brindabellas today, causing me to clutch my coat around my chest, and tug my hat down over my ears. I am here in Canberra to support the first incarnation of our ETS, putting a price on carbon. I really did not need a hat to keep my ears warm: I copped a fair bit of ear-bashing!

After Question Time, I wandered down the lawns to watch as the 'Say Yes' group labored in the wind putting their banners out. Tomorrow I have to make do with QT in the Senate because the 'anti-carbon-tax' demonstrators have QT in the House of Reps all booked out.

I am lodged at the Hotel Kurrajong - lovely old place.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wasn't Hotel Kurrajong where one of our PMs used to stay? The one from Perth I think, who refused to live in the Lodge.

Unknown said...

I said "Yes" for cleaning energy future... :D

Kay L. Davies said...

Oh, good, there's nothing I love better than a political activist. You rock, Julie!
I wouldn't trust myself to behave if I visited Parliament in Canada. The federal government is completely opposed to everything I believe in.
I hope you're having a super time in the hotel.

Kay, Alberta, Canada
An Unfittie’s Guide to Adventurous Travel

Jim said...

Good onya, Julie. Looks like it may just pass today.

Julie said...

Andrew - This is where Chifley stayed and he was from Bathurst. The one from Perth was Curtin. Same era though - 1940s. They have Chifley's room (25) restored in all its austere beauty. Chifley was 'the light on the hill' man.

Ann said...

Good for you. Its through. Don't know why people are so scared. If we are serious about climate change we have to pay at some stage. It may not be the best way but its a start.

Vicki said...

"I really did not need a hat to keep my ears warm: I copped a fair bit of ear-bashing!"

LOL Not that the issue is funny. Anything bit. I say "yes," too.

Joe said...

My goodness you get around Julie. Go Julie Go.. I am sometimes amused by our political system and leaders. I often wonder if business was conducted on such polarized views as expressed by our politicians whether our economy would grind to a halt.

Halcyon said...

I like the colorful signs. Hope the message meets the right ears!

Stafford Ray said...

Tony has a few months more to go and then I hope the media, that has given him so much oxygen to lie and confuse, comes back to ask him where it all went wrong and the sky did not fall.
It is outrageous to claim that we, the biggest per capita polluters on the planet, should do nothing. Like Ann said; it is a start.

freefalling said...

Hey - that's where I stayed when I went to Canberra last year.
It is a lovely old place isnt it?
There's a really nice turkish restaurant around the corner - Ottoman.

Julie said...

Yes, I really liked it. And just so central for someone without a car. I ate ih-house which I really liked too. I think it is a place I could visit each autumn and spring for one or even two nights.

Joan Elizabeth said...

Lucky I wasn't down there with you I may well have been yelling from the other side. The problem with the carbon price is that it is fixed, not flexible and too high. If it was a market driven price as proposed by Howard and Rudd then it would have been flexible and driven down to a level appropriate to the market. It is not so much disagreeing with the concept but the mechanism and timing is all wrong ... just like most things Madam is putting up like sending poor refugees to Malaysia or a person wanting to spend $5 on the pokies having to register on a database in Canberra.

Julie said...

There were many people yelling from the other side.

Neither Howard nor Rudd saw their concept through to completion. Gillard has. I don't like to think of her as anything other than PM. In 3 years it will be flexible. Whether it goes down or not will be up to the market. Having said that, I am not a firm believer in markets. I am not unhappy with the timing. You are referring to the GFC2, I think. Or perhaps to action by other countries.

I am not against the Malaysian solution, but like the idea of a regional framework. I also liked the idea of 1 for 5. I think we are capable of taking more. I would like to see it an annual agreement. Malaysia is very close to CI and that should keep costs down a smidge. I think neither Nauru nor Onshore will stoptheboats. Not that I am wedded to that either. Treat them like overstayers from planes, I think.

Poker machine reform/restriction is important to a minority of our citizens who cannot help themselves. People who only want to bet $5 can play the small machines and will not have to pre-commit. It is those who play the high-intensity machines who will have to commit. I think the Feds should take over the funding of community organisations from the clubs which will stop this blackmail that is going on.